Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Financial Firms Continue to Struggle to Plug Security Loopholes

More than four out of every five (85 percent) U.S. businesses have experienced a data breach, according to a recent study by Colchester, Conn.-based law firm Scott + Scott, putting millions of consumers' Social Security numbers and other sensitive information in the hands of criminals. Last summer, TD Ameritrade became the latest financial firm in a long list -- that also includes JPMorgan, Fidelity Investments and Ameriprise Financial -- to report an incident. Not surprisingly, the growing problem is taking a toll on consumer confidence.

Experts suggest that while financial firms may be securing the front doors of their companies with encryption and authentication technologies, hackers are constantly looking for new ways to compromise systems through unguarded, and sometimes not so obvious, side doors. But how can financial institutions plug hidden security gaps and protect their customers' data and assets?